pseudonym

noun

pseu·do·nym ˈsü-də-ˌnim

Synonyms of pseudonym next

: a fictitious name

especially : pen name

Did you know?

Pseudonym, has its origins in the Greek word pseudōnymos, which means "bearing a false name." Greek speakers formed their word by combining pseud-, meaning "false," and onyma, meaning "name." French speakers adopted the Greek word as pseudonyme, and English speakers later modified the French word into pseudonym. Many celebrated authors have used pseudonyms. Samuel Clemens wrote under the pseudonym "Mark Twain," Charles Lutwidge Dodgson assumed the pseudonym "Lewis Carroll," and Mary Ann Evans used "George Eliot" as her pseudonym.

Examples of pseudonym in a Sentence

Mark Twain is the pseudonym of the American writer Samuel L. Clemens. the most notorious serial killer of the 19th century remains known only by the pseudonym of Jack the Ripper

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Tony Peters, a pseudonym to protect the privacy of his family, is a retired educator in Michigan. —

Tony Peters, Newsweek, 8 Dec. 2024 Those involved in the case believe the name is a pseudonym, and there is an ongoing investigation into the hack. —

Will Steakin, ABC News, 19 Nov. 2024 Written under the pseudonym William Lee (also the name of Queer’s protagonist), Junky was published in 1952 in a mass-market edition, thus precluding serious review attention. —

Ira Silverberg, Vulture, 27 Nov. 2024 Published by Emily Brontë under the pseudonym Ellis Bell a year before her death, the classic novel is set in the Yorkshire moors and revolves around the intense and often destructive relationships between two families: the Earnshaws and the Lintons. —

Matt Grobar, Deadline, 20 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for pseudonym